Creating success? : Tue Jul 26, 2016 7:40 pm  

Easier said than done, especially without a big money backer?

Last year RM had Fax tearing through the business-end of the league, what has changed? Have we been found out, have the lads sensed it and not striven the same?Odd...

Leigh have built success similar to the old Bulls team back in SL of old but without the 4x4 spare wheel covers and soft toys yet the their team has not really, truly been a team of opposition-quaking stars has it???

Fax really must strive to get back to the top flight where we belong because we are under threat of becoming an established second tier team, it certainly feels that way.

Are Fax really a smaller club than Salford, Wakey, Cas??? I would say not!

So.......................

What do we, as a club, and a group of fans do differently to overturn that ONE fateful season that still hurts SO much?

UTFAX!

Re: Creating success? : Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:13 pm  

You've answered your own question. Money and wisely invested. We've done a good job at building the clubs infrastructure but let the recruitment go a bit for the first team and missed out on a wad of cash for next year.

The question now is - do we keep the reserves? There is no protection from the RFL in place for clubs like ours having their best young players poached for super league so are we investing money for no return? The RFL don't seem interested in reserves and development so are we wasting that cash and should we aim for regular top four spots.?

Toulouse and Toronto are definitely the darlings of RL at the moment so we have to hope there are no moving of the goalposts to allow them to advance at the expense of others - can really see this happening though.

So, in short, we need the RFL to keep the doorway to SL open, no more glass ceilings and wads and wads of cash wisely spent.

Championship for the foreseeable it is then!

Re: Creating success? : Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:10 pm  

Negative post, BUT, we are certainly no more than an established championship side at the moment. We've been down over 10 years now, theres very very few members of our last SL side still playing now!

And worse still, I think we need to be looking over our shoulder as much as ahead. As the above post says, Toulouse and Toronto are going to be very strong and will challenge us, financially they will have the edge.

And the truth is that the division is stronger now than it was back when we dominated. One of the biggest clubs in the country (Bulls), this incredibly dominant Leigh team, Sheffield being full time, Fev with half the Leeds team. Only plus is that I dont think Batley will stay strong post-Kear.

I dont think many neutrals would expect us to be competing above any of those sides bar Batley.

Re: Creating success? : Wed Jul 27, 2016 6:34 am  

Are we a bigger club than Leigh, London or Bradford. Playing Devils advocate. We have to become better than what's in this league before we can be bigger than Wakey, Salford and Cas. The only way to become bigger is by getting into top 4 and reap the financial rewards. Unfortunately by missing out on top 4 the playing budget will be smaller. RM will have to spend wisely because this season Batley for instance recruited better than we did. Dual Reg in favor or not can help you get into top 4 as seen with Fev.

We are nothing more than a established Championship team at moment with Super league aspirations. The league gets stronger by the year and unless we get financial backing/ investment I feel we will be in this league for a while. Only team at moment I can see getting into Super league is Leigh.

Re: Creating success? : Wed Jul 27, 2016 7:54 am  

I suppose it's how you measure success and there are a few factors.
A few of them are.
How much resources you have compared to the competition.
How well you manage the resources you have.
A bit of luck with the bounce of the ball or a refs call.
Sometimes a side will click and find a winning formula, sometimes they don't.

For me and wanting the club to do well the success bar is often set higher than what it should be considering what resources we have.

Consequently the disappointment is greater than it should be when we fall short.

Good news is it doesn't last as long as it use to, at least I can sleep after a set back and not have 3 or 4 nights with the game going round and round in my brain.

I'm sure you have all been there.

Re: Creating success? : Wed Jul 27, 2016 4:09 pm  

I think the lads who finished last season should have been given the opening few games of this season no matter who was brought in. Too much chopping and changing once again like last season only this season by the time we knew the best team it was too late and we could not replicate last seasons form. If you had have picked most fans teams at the begining of the year both Johnston and Heaton would have been in those teams yet it took until the summer bash once again for Marshall to see that those two are better than any other options he had. That cost us because both of those players who are confidence players struggled for form because they obviously felt as though they were not part of the coaches plans.

Ive no idea where we go from here next season as it has to be catch 22 with there been less money to spend yet we obviously need to improve the squad. Like as been mentioned I also do not think Batley will go quite as well next season and also feel we can still be on top of the Bulls but we still have to contend with probably London, Fev, Toulouse, and maybe Sheffield for 3 spots with leigh once again running away with the league.

Re: Creating success? : Wed Jul 27, 2016 4:29 pm  

Tough one for me, we have to strive for success, but to give ourselves the best chance of success without the backer, we are doing things in a longer term view.
Arsenal FC seem happy to be a success off the pitch and have moderate success on it, so that begs the question what do WE class as success, both on and off.
If we're financially secure and building for success in a few years, dependant on uncovering some young talent and adding some astute signings, I can just about stick with the plan.
Season 3 is going to be Richards biggest challenge, I'm going to back him. I would imagine everyone connected needs top 4 next season to stay on this course though.
This years blip can't be repeated, even if it's as simple as the players weren't good enough and the opposition were better. We have to be better, it's hard to build success without performances on the pitch.

Re: Creating success? : Wed Jul 27, 2016 6:37 pm  

Success next season....I've said this before, I'm fed up of saying that we're building for the future, we're on course for success in a couple of years. We've been in't second division over ten years now and it's as if people are happy with us making the top four. I want us to at least win this league. We haven't done that since we got relegated! I can't accept that teams such as Cas, Wakefield, Salford, Shuddersfield HKR, Widnes are bigger teams than Fax. I know money counts but let's show some ambition. If you're happy with a draw you might lose. If you're unhappy with a draw you might win. Cheery Tree shudds. Pretty Things Seasoned Traveller 5.0% Mmm!

Re: Creating success? : Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:42 pm  

Whilst I agree we are going in the right direction, we will not increase spectator numbers based on poor performances like this season, the knock on effects from that should be easy enough to compute. This season will now see fans drift away, we can’t afford that, even if the after dinner speakers have some good gags, the Wine flows and Roast Topside of Beef is lovely. The kid on the terraces eating a burger and watching his first game of Rugby is arguably more important. Therefore a bit of honesty and an admission we’ve been poor is fine by me.

It’s been a poor season, that cannot be glossed over with the plan was good.

I trust Richard Marshall, potentially one of our best Coaches. Next season is massive for him and the club though. Next season should start now, build momentum.

Re: Creating success? : Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:18 am  

Just been looking through my previous posts to make sure, and yep to some extent, 2nd season, and had R M been found out? Seems like it, hindsight is always 20/20 and of little comfort. RM needs to look at himself and go back to what worked previously(probably does not need telling), stop the chopping and changing, if the side is more or less the same next year then he should know who are the best 17 and where they play/ gel together. I agree R M has the potential to be a very good coach and do good things, maybe he needs to go back to his mentor and seek advice, this is not failure but forward thinking.
Imo the players also need to be secure in have they played well enough to keep the shirt for next week, and should not be dropped just because of an indifference, class is permanent form tempororary.
On the point of reserves should more of them be included into the first team squad for training, thus giving them the view that they are wanted and not just a cash cow, no matter how small for the club.
I personally do not like D R and have said so before, however if that is where we need to capture class players from for a short spell as others have done. Lastly let the directors do their job, but they do need to be a little more transparent and honest about the goings on.

Rant over. Up the fax , live the blue and white.